As governments gear up to spend vast sums to deal with the economic fallout from the coronavirus, the world has an unprecedented opportunity to land a big blow against climate change by investing in clean energy and green infrastructure. This week, the Democratic nominee for president showed he gets it.
Former vice president Joe Biden has drastically ratcheted up his ambition for the fight against climate change. Last year he envisioned an emissions-free power sector by 2050. Now he recognizes that the goal is achievable by 2035. As he explained Monday, “2050 is a million years from now in the minds of most people. My plan is focused on taking action now, this decade, in the 2020s.”
After years of climate inaction in Washington, the need for urgency has never been greater, and Biden is right to accelerate his timetable. If elected, he now promises to spend $2 trillion over four years to give the U.S. a mighty shove toward emissions reductions in not only electric power but also transportation, buildings, housing and other areas — in a way that provides jobs and cleaner air and water for the communities that need them most. Such an effort would ensure that the U.S. makes meaningful progress on climate protection and, in the process, provide the economic stimulus and jobs that Americans need to emerge from the Covid-19 recession and come out stronger.